The present invention relates generally to increasing traffic on an electronic site. More particularly, the present invention provides a technique including a method and system for increasing a number of users to a selected electronic messaging site by way of personalized user information. The invention will generally be illustrated using a wide area network of computers such as the Internet, but it should be recognized that the invention has a much broader range of applicability. For example, the invention can be applied to other types of networks where a physical geographic location is coupled to an electronic medium.
Merchants have always attempted to find ways to lure shoppers to their stores, establishments, and the like, which are often fixed in physical space (e.g., stores, open markets) at a specific geographic location. In particular, merchants placed advertisements in daily newspapers to lure these shoppers to their stores. Merchants also provided shoppers with coupons, special discounts, and bonus points as ways to attract shoppers. In some cases, merchants have even provided special events such as live music, carnivals, magicians, celebrities, and the like. as other ways of luring shoppers. Free products such as food and novelty items, have also been used to lure shoppers to the merchants"" place. All of these ways have been somewhat successful with conventional merchants that provide their goods or services for display at a physical location.
Shoppers are now using computers for purchasing goods. In particular, shoppers are purchasing goods and even services from merchants using a world wide area network of computers, commonly known as the Internet. The Internet is an international xe2x80x9csuper-networkxe2x80x9d connecting together millions of individual computer networks and computers, workstations, and the like. Although the Internet is widely know for one of its ways of presenting information through the World Wide Web (herein xe2x80x9cWebxe2x80x9d), there are many other services currently available based upon the general Internet protocols and infrastructure.
The Web is generally easy to use for people with little knowledge about computers. Information on the Web can be presented on electronic xe2x80x9cpagesxe2x80x9d made of graphics and text that contain xe2x80x9clinksxe2x80x9d to other pages either within the same set of data files (i.e., Web site) or within data files located on other computer networks. Users often access information on the Web using a xe2x80x9cbrowserxe2x80x9d program. The browser program processes information from Web sites and displays the information using graphics, text, sound, and animation. Accordingly, the Web has become a popular medium for advertising goods and services directly to shoppers.
With the increasing popularity of the Internet, many merchants have flocked to it in an attempt to sell goods and services using an electric medium in the form of the Web site, which can be accessed by computers that are coupled to each other over the Internet. As merely an example, a potential purchaser of a text book can now purchase such book using a service on the Internet from a company called Amazon.com in Seattle, Wash. Customers can also purchase goods from auction houses such as those called eBay.com of California. Although some success has been achieved using the electronic medium, many drawbacks still exist.
For example, electronic Web pages are often easy to create so electronic Web sites on the Internet have increased dramatically in number. Accordingly, it is increasingly more difficult for merchants to lure potential customers to their Web sites because of the sheer number and complexity of Web sites. Additionally, merchants have had difficulty building goodwill and/or awareness of their Web sites, also due to the sheer number of Web sites. In some cases, there are so many Web sites that it is almost impossible or impractical to identify a good to be purchased even with conventional search engines, which often find thousands of potential sites to visit. Accordingly, it would be desirable to find a way to lure a potential user to a selected Web site in a more targeted manner. This limitation is also shared by non-merchant Web sites that seek to increase their viewers hip in order to increase their advertising revenues.
From the above, it can be seen that a more efficient way of increasing traffic to a selected Web site is highly desirable.
According to the present invention, a technique for increasing traffic to an electronic site is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention uses personalized information, which is placed on a Web site, to increase the number of users of the Web site. The personalized information is provided using one of a plurality of public media transmission devices, which are placed in commercial locations.
In a specific embodiment, the present invention provides a system for increasing traffic or xe2x80x9chitsxe2x80x9d to an electronic messaging site, e.g., Web site. The system has a plurality of computer devices, each of the computer devices is networked to each other over a wide area or local area networking system. The system has a public media transmitting device, which includes an image capturing device. The image capturing device is adapted to capture an image of at least one user. The image capturing device is coupled to the network system; and an output device is coupled to the public media transmitting device. The output device provides a hard copy of an image of the user and text information directed to a messaging site, where traffic is to be increased. The information can include an e-mail address, uniform resource locator (xe2x80x9cURLxe2x80x9d), etc., which may be directed to the messaging site. Since the user, or other keeper of the hard copy, has the information in permanent form, such user has easy access and can reference information, which will direct the user to the messaging site. By way of the hard or electronic copy, which includes the URL, the present system improves a possibility that the user will access the messaging site. In some embodiments, the present system can transmit information to a plurality of e-mail locations such as the user and a friend or a family member. Here, the user sends information to himself/herself, a friend, and/or family. The e-mail includes a URL and/or a digital image of the user.
In an alternative embodiment, the present invention provides a system for increasing a number of users or hits on a selected electronic messaging site. The system has a memory that includes a first code directed to capturing user information from a user through a public media transmitting device, which is coupled to a wide area network of computers. The memory also has a second code directed to outputting an address location to the user of the communication function through the public media transmitting device. A third code directed to transmitting the captured user information to a server location is also included. Further, the memory has a fourth code directed to accessing the address location through one of the plurality of computers to the server to use the user information. Depending upon the embodiment, one or more of these codes may be present.
Numerous advantages exist using the present invention over conventional techniques. In one or more embodiments, the present invention provides an output that includes address information, which is easy to access since it can be in the form of a hard copy (e.g., photograph, card, lenticular lens card) and/or electronic mail. Accordingly, complex URL address locations need not be memorized but merely referenced on the hard copy or electronic mail by the user. The present invention also provides a hard copy or electronic copy that can be distributed to a wide number of potential users. This distribution allows a possibility of more potential users to access the electronic site. Furthermore, the electronic messaging site has personalized user information such as the user""s photograph and/or voice, which was captured by the public media device. The personalized information lures the user to the electronic messaging site. The present invention can also provide a single Web site, which has personalized information. This Web site can eventually become a community for Web users, which further increases traffic to the Web site. Depending upon the embodiment, one or more of these advantages may be available.
These and other embodiments of the present invention, as well as its advantages and features, are described in more detail in conjunction with the text below and attached.